Trulend lender comparison for small personal loans

Each lender card lists figures copied from that lender's own public pages when we checked them: APR range, amounts, terms, fees, funding speed and credit notes. Where a lender publishes nothing, the card says to check the lender's site.

The 14 personal loan lenders appear in no ranked order, and no position means one is better than another. We picked a mix that reflects the trulending options readers commonly weigh: online lenders, two credit unions and branch-based installment companies. Some start at $250 or $600, others at $2,000, so the right fit for a $700 car battery is often not the right fit for a $4,500 debt payoff.

Rates, fees and loan sizes change, sometimes monthly, and many vary by state. Treat every figure here as an estimate and confirm current terms on the lender's own site before you sign anything.

A published personal loan APR range is the full spread a lender may offer, not the rate you will get. Trulend readers with fair credit should expect quotes toward the middle or top of most ranges. The lowest number usually goes to applicants with excellent credit, steady income, low debt and autopay turned on, and many lenders say outright that not everyone qualifies for it.

Happen Bank, the bank formerly known as LendingClub, publishes APRs of 5.96%–35.99% on personal loans from $1,000, so it can cover the middle and top of the $500–$5,000 range but not a $500 request.

Its rates page lists an origination fee of 0% to 8%, taken only when the loan funds. On a $3,000 personal loan, an 8% fee would be $240, leaving $2,760 in your account. Payments come with a 15-day grace period before a late fee may apply, which gives a little breathing room in a tight month.

Trulend borrowers consolidating two or three store cards often like that the bank can pay creditors directly instead of sending cash. Approval considers credit score, history, the amount, the term and your debt-to-income ratio, and some loans may require credit union membership. Confirm current terms on the lender's site.

Upgrade lists APRs from 7.74% to 35.99% on personal loans starting at $1,000 and says approved borrowers can receive funds within one business day after accepting an offer and passing its checks.

The origination fee runs 1.85% to 9.99% and comes out of the loan before deposit. At the top of that range, a $2,000 personal loan sends about $1,800.20 to your bank. Upgrade's own disclosure example uses a $10,000, 36-month loan at 17.59% APR with a 5% fee, which puts $9,500 in hand and sets the payment at $341.48.

Applicants must be US citizens, permanent residents or living in the US on a valid visa, at least 18, with a bank account and email address. For trulend borrowers with bad credit, the site says they may still be eligible, but rates at that end sit near the top of the range.

Upstart publishes fixed APRs of 6.3% to 35.99% and personal loans from $1,000, and it says it looks beyond the credit score at income, employment and education when reviewing a request.

Only two terms are offered, three or five years, which is long for a small balance. A $1,500 personal loan stretched over 36 months keeps the payment low but adds more interest than a 12-month plan elsewhere would. State minimums also matter: Georgia's is $3,100 and Massachusetts's is $7,000, which rules out small loans there.

The site's sample $10,000 loan carries an 8.15% origination fee of $815, so the borrower receives $9,185. Checking your rate is a soft inquiry; accepting a rate triggers a hard one. People searching trulend for a first loan with a short credit file often look here first.

Avant offers personal loans from $2,000 at 9.95%–35.99% APR and says approvals before 4:30 p.m. Central on a weekday are generally deposited the next business day.

Its administration fee of up to 9.99% is treated as part of the principal, which means interest accrues on the fee too. Avant's own example shows a $5,700 loan with the full fee, an amount financed of $5,130.57, a 29.95% APR and 36 payments of $217.66. Run your own numbers with the fee included before comparing it with a no-fee option.

Because the floor is $2,000, Avant fits larger trulend requests such as a transmission rebuild or consolidating a few card balances rather than a $700 repair. The site does not list a minimum credit score, and more documents may be requested, which can slow funding.

OneMain Financial lends $1,500 to $35,000 at 11.99%–35.99% APR through branches and online, with both unsecured personal loans and loans secured by a vehicle no more than ten years old.

Its origination fee is either a flat $25 to $500 or 1% to 10% of the loan, depending on the state. On a $2,000 personal loan, a 5% fee would be $100. Funding can be fast: as soon as an hour after signing when sent to a debit card, one to two banking days by direct deposit, or a same-day check.

A secured loan may bring a lower rate or a larger amount, but the lender can take the vehicle after a default. Trulend borrowers who rely on their car to reach work should weigh that risk carefully. You will need proof of identity, residence and income before closing.

Oportun makes unsecured personal loans from $300 to $10,000 and says no prior credit history is required, which makes it one of the few trulending options here that regularly serves borrowers with thin files.

The cost is high. Its unsecured example is a $3,333 loan with a $333 administrative fee, so the borrower receives $3,000 and repays through 65 biweekly payments of $70 at 35.95% APR over 30 months. That works out to roughly $4,550 repaid for $3,000 received, so it fits genuine needs rather than wants.

Car-title secured loans are available only in a handful of states, including AZ, CA, FL, IL, NV, NJ, TX and UT. Prequalifying does not affect your score until you submit a full application, and the application usually takes under ten minutes with the right documents.

LendingPoint publishes APRs of 7.99%–35.99% on personal loans from $1,000 to $36,500 and says funds are often sent the next non-holiday business day after final approval.

The eligibility list is clearer than most trulends shoppers expect: at least 18, a government photo ID, a Social Security number, a personal bank account and annual income of at least $35,000. Residents of Nevada and West Virginia cannot apply. If more documents are requested, a decision usually follows within one to three business days.

Its origination fee goes up to 10% depending on the state. The site's own example, a $10,000 loan over 48 months at 26.59% APR with a 10% fee, has a $340.52 payment and $6,345.12 in finance charges, a reminder that longer terms add up. Personal loans of $1,000 to $3,000 over 24 months cost far less in total.

Best Egg offers personal loans from $2,000 at 6.99%–35.99% APR on 36- to 60-month terms and says about half of its customers receive funds the next day.

Its sample three-year, $5,000 loan at 6.99% APR has 36 payments of $152.83, a figure most trulend readers with average credit will not see. The origination fee runs 0.99% to 9.99%, with a floor of 4.99% on any term of four years or longer, so choosing 36 months can save on the fee as well as interest.

Minimums are higher in some states: $3,001 in Georgia, $5,001 in Ohio and $6,500 in Massachusetts. The lender does not operate in Iowa, Nebraska, Vermont, West Virginia or the District of Columbia. Checking your rate does not affect your score; accepting an offer triggers a hard inquiry.

Prosper makes personal loans of $2,000 to $50,000 at 8.99%–35.99% APR and is one of the few lenders here that publishes a score requirement: 640 or higher to accept an offer.

The origination fee ranges from 1% to 9.99%. Prosper's own three-year example, $10,000 at a 17.29% interest rate with an 8.99% fee, produces a 24.19% APR, $9,101 received and 36 payments of $357.97. The same fee on a $2,500 personal loan would be about $225, so the fee can push APR well above the interest rate on smaller balances.

Trulending comparisons that include Prosper should note its two-to-six-year term range, which is useful for spreading out a $4,000 repair. Funds can arrive one business day after acceptance, though your bank's processing time can add a day.

Universal Credit offers personal loans from $1,000 at 11.69%–35.99% APR and often shows up in trulending searches from borrowers whose credit keeps them out of lower-rate programs, especially for debt consolidation.

The trade-off is a high fee floor. Origination runs 5.25% to 9.99%, so even the best case on a $2,000 personal loan removes $105 before deposit, and the worst removes $199.80. Terms of three to five years mean a small balance can stay on your books longer than necessary unless you prepay.

Funding can arrive one business day after approval, but direct payoff to card issuers can take up to two weeks. Its own site did not load for our check, so the figures here come from published summaries of its terms; confirm everything with the lender directly before applying.

PenFed Credit Union makes personal loans of $600 to $50,000 with no origination fee and no early-payoff fee, and anyone in the US can join by opening a savings account with a $5 deposit.

Because it is a federal credit union, its personal loan APR is capped by regulation at 18%, which keeps the high end far below the 35.99% common at online lenders. The site notes a 0.25-point autopay discount, a $50 minimum monthly payment and that excellent credit is needed for the lowest rate. Your rate can also depend on how long you have been a member.

A $600 floor makes PenFed one of the better fits for a small trulend request such as a $900 dental bill. Checking your rate is a soft pull; the full application is a hard pull. Funds can arrive as soon as the next day.

Navy Federal Credit Union offers personal loans, which it calls personal expense loans, from just $250 at 8.74%–18.00% APR for terms up to 36 months, with no origination fee, but only members of the military community can join.

The $250 minimum is the lowest on this page, which suits a small trulend need such as a $400 tire replacement or a $650 vet visit. Terms from 37 to 60 months carry a slightly higher floor of 10.69%. Most loans fund within 24 hours, and personal expense loans can fund the same day.

Members with savings can also borrow against their own balance through a savings-secured loan priced at the share rate plus 2%, a low-cost way to build credit. Trulends readers who are eligible to join should compare Navy Federal before any personal loan that charges an origination fee.

Mariner Finance publishes APRs of 15.99%–35.99% on personal loans from $1,000 to $25,000, with online loans between $1,500 and $14,000 and larger or smaller amounts handled through its branches.

Its disclosure example shows how branch-lender personal loan pricing adds up: a $5,000 amount financed at 30.99% APR repaid over 48 months costs $182.91 a month and $8,779.68 in total, including $3,779.68 in finance charges. Choosing 24 months instead would raise the payment but cut that interest sharply.

The lowest rates and largest amounts may require a first lien on a vehicle under ten years old, titled and insured in your name. Origination fees may apply and reduce the cash you receive. Trulend borrowers in Georgia should note that loans there start above $3,000.

Regional Finance offers personal loans from $600 to $10,000 through branches in 11 states and says it works with customers who have less-than-perfect credit; it does not publish APRs on its loan page.

The states listed on its site are Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin, with a $700 to $7,500 range in North Carolina. You can start online, but expect to visit a branch with ID, proof of residence and proof of income to finish the loan.

Because the APR, fee and term are disclosed only once you apply, ask for the full cost in writing and compare it against a credit union personal loan quote. Trulend borrowers who value face-to-face service may find the branch model reassuring; just confirm the total repaid before signing.

Walk away from any offer that asks for money up front, promises approval before reviewing you, or pushes you to sign today. Legitimate personal loan lenders disclose APR, fees and the payment schedule before you commit.

• An upfront "insurance" or "processing" payment by gift card, wire or app transfer before funding. Real origination fees are deducted from the loan or listed in the agreement.
• No APR shown anywhere, or only a weekly or biweekly payment with no total cost.
• A lender that is not licensed in your state, or will not tell you which state licenses it.
• Pressure to borrow more than you asked for, often pitched as "you qualified for $5,000."
• Optional add-ons such as credit insurance or debt protection pre-checked in the paperwork.
• A caller or text claiming to represent a lender listed here and asking for your bank login.

A quick test for any trulend offer you receive: you should be able to name the APR, the fee in dollars, the amount deposited, the number of payments and the total repaid. If any one of those five is missing or vague, ask for it in writing before you go further.

We are a free connector, not a lender. Our request form passes your details to lenders in our network; any lender that can help shows its own offer, and each lender alone decides approval, APR, fees and timing.

The personal loan lenders in this comparison are listed for research, and inclusion does not mean they are part of our network or that we recommend one over another. Trulends visitors who would rather not fill out five applications can send one request through the personal loan request form and review whatever offers come back, with no obligation to accept any of them.

Before you send anything, our personal loan rates guide explains how credit tiers shape the trulend rates lenders quote, and the eligibility checklist covers the income, ID and bank-account basics most lenders ask for. A trulend request for $500 to $5,000 never guarantees an offer; lenders decide, and the best offer for you may come from a lender listed here, one in our network, or your own credit union.